J15.3 A Magnetically-Driven mMdel of Flux-Rope Expansion from the Sun to 1AU in Order to Compute Bz at 1AU

Tuesday, 12 January 2016: 4:00 PM
Room 352 ( New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center)
Valbona Kunkel, HelioMagnetics LLC, Arlington, VA

I will present the results of the HelioXM model that simulates the propagation of (CME-like) idealized magnetic flux ropes from the Sun to the Earth by including both the dynamics of the apex and the legs of the flux ropes. Therefore the model calculates the expansion of a flux rope in three orthogonal directions based on physical forces: apex expansion, transverse expansion, and minor radial expansion. The model provides two new important predictions: (1) estimates of the magnetic field strength and orientation of the CME Bz component at 1AU (2) estimates of the arrival time of the magnetized CME ejecta. The model calculates the evolving magnetic field of a CME ejecta (in three dimension Bx, By, Bz), pressure, temperature and density in relation to the initial geometry of the CME at the Sun and height-time data measured directly in white-light images. I will also present an application based on this type of model that computes the magnetic field vector components seen by a probe/planet traversing through the flux rope for any orientation of the CME.
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